Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Environment America, Fund, Fund for Public Interest Research, PIRG, Progressive Future, US PIRG, Work for Progress
Want to submit a story of your experience with the PIRG/Fund/Green Corps/whatever PIRG department you worked for? Email burnedoutbypirg@gmail.com.
Anon, they ARE saying each community is the same. And that’s a huge part of the problem (or rather, “the model”). You’ve swallowed a bit too much of the Kool-aid and exhibit a disturbing amount of the Fund’s trained passive-aggressiveness.
I was a former Environment fellow, sent to start an office in a small Midwestern town during the election and told to register 2,500 black people (yeah CVP and Progressive Future… and Work for Progress and god knows what other name they gave it that particular week). We quickly realized there were only 2,000 people (according to the census polls) in the town who declared themselves ‘African American.’ Most people were either already registered, too young, or felons. The Fund gave no consideration to basic demographics. There had been no prior scouting. Not to mention there were 2 Obama offices (English and Spanish) within a block of us.
When we mentioned this to our RD, we were told to “find more turf.” We had an awkward run-in at Kinkos with the office one town over, who was under the Prog Fut guise (or Work for Progress… I forget which) registering minority and college-aged voters. We’d been canvassing door-to-door in their neighborhoods a day or so earlier. Even better was that our CVP RD and their PIRG RD shared a room in the same office, yet for some reason “Hey, so… you’re in town A because we’re in town B and canvassing your turf?” never came up. We were essentially self-cannibalizing.
When we pointed this out, we were at first told to “be flexible,” “find more turf,” “hire new canvassers/fire the ones that weren’t making quota.” There was probably something about sticking to the rap in there as well. The ordeal was never acknowledged as a huge mistake–which it undoubtedly was.
In the end it was all about the numbers. We hated those nightly conference calls where the Big City rattled off their thousands and the smaller towns were woefully behind their quotas (the one that was breaking even was doing so because they were registering mental patients at the hospital).
Success in the Fund has NOTHING to do with hard work or competence–which is precisely why so many kids walk away from the ordeal so thoroughly disillusioned. Rather, it’s how well you are able to conform–without question–to “the model” and parrot their lofty-sounding rhetoric. There is no room for creativity, compassion, or independent thought. Success with the Fund is brought about by completely giving up the ability to think for yourself. As PIRG anti-progress said: they’re called “bots” for a reason.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: canvass, canvassing, Environment America, grassroots, PIRG, politics, US PIRG
Send us your stories, like Chase! burnedoutbyPIRG@gmail.com.
The previous comments regarding the PIRG geo-flex clustermess are complete BS. Sure, at first it’s about where they have positions available, but it doesn’t stop there. It extends into the summer canvass, your own personal canvass during the year, and then, (from personal experience) where you’ll go when they kidnap you from your life for an election campaign.
I was hired with Environment America (PIRG’s offshoot) in March of ‘08 to start work in August of that year. I was thrilled to be a Political Science major with a job immediately after college.
I arrived in August and was then inundated with the brainwashing, the forced social interaction (I was lucky to have a great incoming fellows group) and the uncertainty as to where I might end up. (Also, they take great liberty with what you say in the initial interviews regarding geo-flex… I said I would be open to the southeast… when did Illinois become the southeast?) Luckily, I was assigned to Florida where I had requested and was eager to get a move on making my arrangements.
But! We were informed on the last few days that we were going to be working on the election campaign for Barack Obama, as a separate entity, but still in support of him. I was alright with this since I supported Obama, but was a little concerned as to why I was not given an option. I also wasn’t given the opportunity to fly home and arrange my living arrangements for another two months. I was carted off to New Hampshire, Tampa, FL, and Colorado all within this two months. I had the same two suitcases of clothes and bathroom amenities for the entire time. There were no days off. No weekends, not even a half sunday except for twice during voter registration because the office director was as fed up as I was. I worked from eight in the morning until most of time eleven at night every day. On the door-to-door information canvassing portion of the campaign, for which I was in a wintry Colorado, I was not allowed to spend time finding warm clothes until a small group of us rebelled and demanded it.
Perhaps the most damnable thing about the PIRG’s is that they send you to random locations around the U.S. and expect you to find residency with friends or relatives within considerable proximity to the office. However, even though they ask whether you have lodging in other states, it most often comes down to wherever they need warm bodies. To be fair, they won’t leave you without some place to stay, but the idea of staying with a person you do not know from Adam is just a poop-cherry on top of the crapcake that PIRG is so known for serving.
So, three trainings, four states (including the original Boston training from where we were shipped off) and two suitcases later I finally made it home. My parents later said they were concerned because I was incapable of remaining in one place for more than thirty seconds. I was constantly needing to move, my nerves had been fried. Extra crispy.
One last thing, the one that finally did it for me. When I was finally in my office, I had no idea what to do because the trainings were solid on what needed to be done, but not so much on the “getting started” aspect. On top of that, the only other person that worked in Environment Florida (two people… fourth biggest state and there are two people) was in Miami doing his work from there. I was given random assignments from a guy in D.C. that correlated to a federal campaign for which I was given no solid foundation to complete. I gave up when they told me I had to drive to Miami to canvass. That’s a solid eight to ten hour drive. They had me stand on the streets of Miami and ask people for money. I left Miami and left PIRG.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Is Canvassing Exploitative?, Isaiah Thompson, 6/19/09
-Amie
Filed under: Uncategorized
Filed under: Uncategorized
Many folks have asked us why there’s a blog to complain about PIRG, that it’s a waste of time, that we should shut up, it’s not productive, we’re bitter, blah blah blah.
Perhaps the bitter part is true. But on the whole, there’s nothing wrong with carrying on a thoughtful and informative dialogue on our experiences working for the organization, and where it goes wrong. We think there’s a huge need for an organization like PIRG to fight for public, not corporate, interests. That’s something we can all get behind. However, the PIRG is operating on a very outdated and top-heavy corporate organizational structure, where individuality is discouraged. And for as large as the network of PIRG organizations is, we think they could be doing a hell of a lot more.
Things we think need a good fix at the PIRG:
1. Their websites. Every state PIRG’s and Environment’s website looks virtually identical, and it’s difficult to distinguish issues to a particular state. Not to mention there’s no detailed listings of staff and contact information, other than executive staff – is this maybe due in part to the large turnaround? If each state PIRG, Environment, and student PIRG chapter is going to be responsive to the community they work with, then their online presence should be updated regularly and reflect not only federal issues, but also state and municipal issues.
2. Social media. I was none too impressed by the PIRGs’ lack of social media presence. For as much as they’re doing, they need to be more accountable to their constituents through innovative social networking. The national StudentPIRG Twitter account, for example, has only a few updates. Campus organizers often create their own Twitter accounts and Facebook pages/groups for their students, but I don’t see much of that happening in the higher-level offices. I’d love to know more about what the heck the PIRG is working on, but if their websites and social media outlets are never updated, what’s the use?
3. Entry-level salaries. They’re terrible, and far below other entry-level positions in the non-profit sector, despite what they insist. If you’re placed as an organizer or fellow in a major American city, $23,750/yr will barely get you anywhere. And don’t forget they expect you to be completely transient, especially when you’re placed somewhere random for the summer canvass, or have to get switched to a new city for some ridiculous reason. So it’s incredibly difficult to sign a lease. If the PIRG could raise their salary levels, I guarantee you that more staff would be willing to put in more effort and stay around – and then less could be spent on recruitment. Don’t they get tired of having to constantly train new staff when another staffer quits? How does that make the model sustainable? I know that I was constantly stressed by barely being able to make my rent, which adversely affected my concentration for my organizing work.
4. No separation of work and social life. Throughout my short tenure at the PIRG, I could tell that there was a very creepy climate of a mixed work and social life. Because you were encouraged to work like a slave, the only people you would often see were your coworkers. And then, of course, there’s the pressure to use your vacation time towards a staff vacation in Aspen. If you don’t go, you end up feeling out of the loop, and judged by your coworkers. It’s just plan WEIRD.
I could go on and on, but these are the things that bugged me the most.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: campaign, campus organizer, canvass, canvassing, Environment America, fellow, FFPIR, Fund, Fund for Public Interest Research, grassroots, Green Corps, Nader, organizer, organizing, PIRG, politics, StudentPIRG, StudentPIRGs, the Fund for Public Interest Research, the State PIRGs, US PIRG
The thing is that it actually is very efficient. Customization takes time, and the model works, so why customize? This blog criticizes the model so much, but why do you think they have been around for 30-something years? The model works, raps work, following the model will get you some degree of success.
That’s part of what is frightening, though–the fact that the model is so calculated and completely successful. The low-retention rate is expected and individuality is discouraged. The problem is that the PIRGs take advantage of natural human traits (e.g. guilt, compassion, loyalty) and twist them to help the organization grow without any consideration for the actual humans they are affecting.
Filed under: n. another great quote | Tags: campaign, campus organizer, canvass, canvassing, Environment America, fellow, FFPIR, Fund for Public Interest Research, grassroots, Green Corps, Nader, non-partisan, organizer, organizing, PIRG, politics, StudentPIRG, StudentPIRGs, the Fund for Public Interest Research, the State PIRGs, US PIRG
From the FFPIR.info website:
“There is no sin in making a living changing the world. There is no sin in being able to eat, and pay your rent, and go to sleep at night without worrying if the power is going to be shut off tomorrow. Activists who eat, who get sleep, who have a place to live, and know that they can put gas in their car (for however long we have it) tend to do much better work than activists who are starving, hungry and poor. It’s the Rockefellers who have sold activists on the notion that you have to be poor, and that’s for the precise purpose of making you ineffective.”
Filed under: m. Keep the comments coming! | Tags: campaign, campus organizer, canvass, canvassing, Environment America, fellow, FFPIR, Fund, Fund for Public Interest Research, grassroots, non-partisan, organizer, organizing, PIRG, politics, StudentPIRG, StudentPIRGs
It’s encouraging to see current and former staff posting comment reflections of their experiences. The more, the merrier!
If you wish to even write a post – please leave a comment.
Filed under: l. Is there anything else out there? | Tags: campaign, campus organizer, canvass, Environment America, fellow, Fund for Public Interest Research, grassroots, Green Corps, Nader, organizer, PIRG, politics, recruitment, StudentPIRG, StudentPIRGs, the State PIRGs, US PIRG
I often spoke with other PIRG entry level staff what drew them into the job. Many were former interns in the program, and automatically had an easy in to the organization. Many had been recruited through information sessions and group interviews with PIRG staff at their college career centers.
But most had accepted a job with PIRG for the simple reason that they wanted to work on advocacy and social change in a nonprofit, but there were no other opportunities available.
Sure, there’s a bit of truth to that explanation. Finding a job in the nonprofit world can be difficult for the college senior or recent graduate, much more so than going straight into the corporate world or graduate school.
PIRG devotes a staggering amount of money and time on their recruitment process. If they changed their work culture and environment, they might be able to cut down on these costs, keep staff around, and raise their salaries. But a large majority of smaller nonprofit organizations, which are constantly trying to balance their bottom line, simply do not have the same resources to seek out candidates for employment. Craigslist now charges $25 per job listing in most major American cities – Idealist also charges for job listings.
So where can you really find openings? There are plenty of opportunities out there beyond PIRG – if you have the drive and patience to seek them out. Many openings at nonprofit organizations are passed around word of mouth, or posted directly on their websites. Start looking into the local organizations that serve the community you hope to live in after college. Get yourself out in the community. Connect with alumni who might work with organizations you are interested in.
Don’t always rely on your career center. Sure, your on-campus career center can teach you a thing or two about the perfect cover letter, a successful interview, and connect you with hundreds of places to work, but don’t depend on them completely. In the end, how badly you want a job, particularly in the nonprofit world, is up to you. Sure, the PIRG makes it easy for you by flying out their staff to campuses all around the country and setting up interviews right in your career center, but if you want something else, it’s all on you.
Experience, experience, experience. Sure, a college courseload can be tough stuff. But if you want to get an edge ahead of other college grads, get involved. Take on leadership positions in on-campus organizations. INTERN AND VOLUNTEER. Internships or volunteer positions at nonprofit organizations are particularly key because they get you into the sector. Even 10 hours per week looks better than none at all. Most importantly, you have references.
NETWORK. One thing your career center can be really good at, which I touched on before, is putting you within reach of a vast alumni network. Use it. Attend community events if you plan on sticking around your college’s city or nearby city. If you’re interning or volunteering with an organization, attend their events and meet other people in the sector. Throw yourself out there.
Filed under: k. The facade | Tags: campaign, campus organizer, fellow, Fund for Public Interest Research, grassroots, Green Corps, Nader, non-partisan, organizer, organizing, PIRG, politics, recruitment, StudentPIRG, StudentPIRGs, the State PIRGs, US PIRG
I remember coming out of a training as if it were the end of an army training. Some hoopla about “we’re gonna be fighting for social justice and social change!” I felt a little sick inside, because every creepy PIRG method that had been presented to me about how to recruit and organize people seemed to lose all of that in the equation.
Never addressed was how to get to know and deal with these new communities we’d be organizing in. Sure, they were college campuses, maybe a little set apart from the real world – but the students there still dealt with many very real issues. Many of these campuses were in urban neighborhoods. Many of the students, full or part-time, juggled full to part-time jobs on the side, a rigrous courseload, and in some cases, children.
The whole structure of the organization kind of rendered everything we were fighting for to a facade. I never really felt like I really cared about the textbook-global warming-hunger & homelessness campaigns we were expected to organize on, because we were too damn busy trying to figure out “How many people are going to attend the GIM meeting?!” “I gotta do my numbers.” “My tabling rate isn’t too good.” It was like a constant struggle to re-evaluate yourself rather than fighting for the students you were working with. Sure, the aforementioned issues drew attention and resonated, but they never really made us think outside the box.
-Amie
